Jambalaya That'll Warm You Up

Jambalaya That'll Warm You Up

"New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin."

-Mark Twain

Why hello there readers! Sorry for the lack of posts but I took a brief hiatus from cooking while in Kansas City. Unlike my December trip to KCMO, this month's trip was COOOOOOLD, however, I was lucky to get out before the snowfall got real (and deep!).

This is what the snow looked like while I was there:

This is what it looked like just a couple days after I left. The snow is up to two feet!

Anyhow, now I'm back in the milder climate of good ol' Sacramento but I've still been craving some pipin' hot meals to warm up my poor cold body...so this week, I decided to make a hearty batch of jambalaya. This down-home recipe is on the milder side of the spiciness scale but if you like heat, add a tad more cayenne and hot sauce (whoo-boy!) and you'll be set. I had to keep our batch toned down since the kidlets were eating with us. Also if you want to keep true to the holy trinity of Cajun cooking (onion, celery and green bell pepper) you can sub in a green bell pepper for the red. No one at our dinner table likes green bell peppers which is why I threw in a red one. ;)

This recipe makes enough jambalaya to feed a family of four and have enough the next day for a round of leftovers. It reheats well. Don't you love when you can get two meals out of one night's cooking? I know I do!

Now pour yourself a stiff drink, get cooking and... Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Jambalaya

Ingredients

1 lb. Andouille sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon Canola oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, diced
1 large red bell pepper
3 stalks of celery, diced (use the tender stalks in the heart of the celery) & dice up those celery leaves as well
1 (10 oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies- drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes- drained
3 bay leaves
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I like Frank's or Crystal)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups long grain white rice- uncooked, rinsed
1 lb. fresh large shrimp- rinsed, peeled and deveined
6 scallions, sliced thin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
juice of 1/2 a lemon
flat-leaf parsley, chopped- for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat canola oil on medium-high heat. Add sliced sausage, cook until browned. Remove sausage, place in a bowl and set aside.

2. Leave the sausage drippings in the pot, heat 1 tablespoon of butter. Add in diced onions. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, sauté a few minutes more until onions soften and become translucent.

3. Add celery, celery leaves and red bell pepper. Allow to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add both cans of tomatoes, bay leaves and sprigs of thyme. Allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes.

5. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, hot sauce and sausage. Stir and allow to cook 5 minutes.

6. Add chicken stock. Bring ingredients to a rapid boil. Add smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, oregano and Louisiana Cajun seasoning. Stir thoroughly.

7. Add 2 cups of rinsed rice. Bring to a boil.

8. Lower heat to a simmer, cover tightly and allow to cook for about 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

9. Turn off heat. Add in uncooked shrimp and sliced scallions. Give it a good stir or two.

10. Replace lid. Let it sit, untouched, for 15 minutes. (The shrimp will cook up from the heat in the pot.)

11. Open. Removed bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

12. Squeeze lemon over jambalaya. Stir. Sprinkle with chopped parsley (optional). Serve.

Rain Days & Mini Cornbread Muffins

Rain Days & Mini Cornbread Muffins

Can you believe just Friday, I was running my air conditioning because the cottage was a tad too warm and here it is just a few days later- Monday and I had to turn on the heater to get rid of the morning chill? I'm quite pleased though. Autumn is my favorite time of the year. I love how the air takes on a crisp smell, the leaves turn a rainbow of colors and you get to wear all kinds of cute scarves and boots. On top of it all, the cooler temps open up a whole other world of cooking- cold weather food! Steaming bowls of soup, savory stews and pipin' hot loaves of bread all make their way out of my kitchen. Food that warms your soul (and your tummy)!

Today's rainy day inspired me to make another batch of mini cornbread muffins. I tinkered with an old Martha Stewart recipe and made some for a party recently and they turned out great but I made the mistake of making them ahead of time so by the time guests arrived, settled in and decided to nosh, the muffins had cooled down substantially. It was a bit of a bummer but it also gave me the idea to pair these bite-sized treats with a dish that stays hot. Since it was grey and wet out today I thought it'd be a good opportunity to pull the ol' slow cooker out and make a batch of Southwest Chili. The mini cornbread muffins tasted amazing dipped in the chili sauce and made a great vessel for sopping up the last few bites. I think I may be making these muffins often this season (maybe with a some diced jalapenos thrown in?). You know what? I bet they'd be great with some Crockpot Chorizo and Lentils! What do you think would be a good match?


Mini Cornbread Muffins

makes 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup canola oil


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Lightly grease your mini-muffin tins. I used Pam spray. (Don't skip this step or your mini muffins will stick to the tin.)

3. In a large bowl, mix together your flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together your sour cream, egg and oil.

5. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until combined.

6. Fill each muffin tin about three-quarters full.

7. Pop in the oven and bake for about 10-11 minutes. Muffins are done cooking when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn out muffins from tin.

9. Serve with softened butter and your favorite dish.

Purple Hull Peas and Bacon

Purple Hull Peas and Bacon

Shelled purple hull peas

Have you ever bought things at the farmers' market solely because they're pretty and catch your eye? That was me this weekend, I bought these beautiful flowers:

Aren't they cute? They're called:

 

 

The blossoms feel like velvety 70's wallpaper and the deep burgundy color is so decadent looking. I can't help touching them every time I walk by the coffee table. I also bought some of these gorgeous peas. I asked the vendor what type of pea they were and she said black-eyed peas. Not these Black-Eyed Peas:

source

 

but rather the kind you eat at New Year's in Hoppin' John. Anyhow, I discovered after I shelled them that they were actually purple hull peas. I've heard they're creamier tasting than black-eyed peas so I thought I'd give them a whirl. I ended up cooking them with some bacon, garlic and onions- "Southern style." The house smelled absolutely divine while the peas were simmering. The dish itself turned out lip-smackin' good.  Mmm-mmm-mmm, I wish I had bought more peas! Next time I might try serving it over a plate of rice or with some homemade cornbread. I've heard sopping up the pot liquor with cornbread is the way to go.

 

 

Purple Hull Peas and Bacon

Ingredients

1 cup purple hull peas, shelled

3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Place the bacon pieces in a pot and cook until the fat has rendered. Add onions. Cook over medium high heat until onions become translucent. Add garlic, cook for another minute. (Do not drain bacon grease.)

2. Add shelled peas and enough water to cover the peas by 1-inch.

3. Bring to a boil. Continue to allow ingredients to boil for about a half hour.

4. Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about an hour. Add more water if necessary to keep the peas covered.

5. Once the peas are soft. Remove from heat, drain off some (but not all!) of the liquid.

6. Season with salt and pepper. Serve while still warm.

 

 

Original PoBoys

Original PoBoys

3110 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95817.

When I heard another new eatery was going in at the corner of Alhambra and Broadway to replace Broadway Wings and Things recently I didn't pay much mind. After all, places have come and gone as far back as I can remember on that odd little island at the entry of Oak Park; but when I heard that the owners were going to be offering up authentic New Orleans fare, that's when they had my attention. I love shrimp po boys and beignets. There's nothing better than biting into the crackling crust of a soft-fluffy French roll and your tongue hitting the inner layer of remoulade and fresh Gulf shrimp with crisp cornmeal breading. Damn! If I'm feeling sassy, I might squirt some Crystal hot sauce on it too. Oh and don't forget to chase it all down with an ice cold Dixie beer. *Sigh, nostalgia* Anyhow, my hopes soared and I made plans to check the joint out ASAP.

So last week, the super awesome Emily from Community Tap and Table joined me over at Original PoBoys for a bite. Parking was a bit of an issue for me as the restaurant is in a bit of an awkward location- there isn't much nearby street parking, there's extremely limited parking in their lot and it's not the safest neighborhood for a woman to be walking around by herself at night. I did notice that once I got near the restaurant, the area surrounding the restaurant was well lit. Inside, although the basic architecture was still reminiscent of when the place was a KFC back in the day, the owner had done a nice job of renovating and cleaning it up. I found the staff to be polite and service to be quick. I decided to order a 8" shrimp po boy (the smallest size) and a soda (I had also inquired about the beignets but was advised that they were only served before 1030am). Wow, an 8 inch sandwich sounds small until they bring that sandwich to your table, holy moly! That was one giant sandwich. Unfortunately, that's about where my rave ends. I had visions of past phenomenal po boys dancing in my head (and on my taste buds) and after my first bite of this one, they were dashed. The bread was bland, the shrimp were soggy and tasteless...the po boy was completely lackluster. I ended up pulling the bread off and just eating the shrimp. My po boy was a clunker. When I looked across the table, I noticed Emily doing the same as well. What a bummer.

Considering that Original PoBoys is still in their first month of operation, I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they're still trying to find their footing. Hopefully over time they'll be able to iron out the kinks and get their po boys up to speed and then they can,"Laissez les bon temps rouler!"